Yaadein kabhi darwazay par dastak nahi detin.
Woh seedha toot kar andar aati hain.
Mark Torio ke liye yeh yaad bhi bilkul aisi hi thi.
Shehar ka purana chauraha tha.
Shaam se zyada raat ho chuki thi.
Bazaar ki roshniyan uski ronak par chaar chand laga rahi thin ke achanak darr ne shor macha diya.
Mark aage barh raha tha.
Uske qadam mein koi hichkichahat nahi thi.
Haath mein pistol thi aur chehray par woh khamoshi jo sirf un logon ke paas hoti hai jo faislay lene se pehle zindagi ki qeemat tay kar chukay hotay hain.
“Hat jao!”
kisi ne cheekh kar kaha.
Magar ab der ho chuki thi.
Goli chalne se aik dukaan ka sheesha toot gaya.
Log idhar udhar bhaag pade.
Afra tafri aur logon ki cheekh o pukar har taraf phail gayi.
Dukaanon ke shutters girne ki awaazain aane lagin.
Itne mein doosri goli chali aur bhaagte hue aik shakhs ko ja lagi.
Mark ke liye yeh sab mamooli tha.
Yeh uski duniya thi.
Khoon, khauf aur dehshat ki duniya.
Usne aik aadmi ko baazu se pakra aur deewar se laga kar poocha,
“Kabeer kahan hai?”
Lehja sakht tha magar awaaz dheemi.
Aisi awaaz ke bazaar ki saari awaazain uske gird jam si gayin.
“Mu… mujhe… nahi maloom,”
us shakhs ne darte hue jawab diya.
Mark ne aik zor daar mukka uske chehray par mara.
Mukka itna shadeed tha ke woh aadmi zameen par gir gaya.
Chaar daant toot gaye aur uske munh se khoon ka fawwara phoot pada.
“Agar uska aik baal bhi banka hua to main saaray shehar ko aag laga doon ga,”
Mark ne garajti hui awaaz mein dhamki di aur wapas chal para.
Ke achanak uske qadam ruk gaye.
Jaise kisi tez hawa ke jhonke ne usay wahin jama diya ho.
Na cheekh se.
Na goli se.
Na khoon se.
Mark us din pehli baar bechain hua.
Bazaar ke aik kone mein ulta hua aik thela para tha aur thelay ke charon taraf phool bikhre hue thay.
Uske peechay aik larki zameen par baithi hui thi.
Uske ghutne seene se lage hue thay, jaise kisi bhari khauf ne usay gher rakha ho.
Aaj Mark ko woh sab yaad aa raha tha jab usne pehli nazar Hazel ko dekha tha.
Uski aankhon ke samne se shor hat gaya.
Jaise kisi ne duniya ki awaaz dheemi kar di ho.
Bazaar ab bhi toot raha tha, log bhaag rahe thay, sheeshe toot rahe thay, magar Mark ke liye yeh sab pichlay manzar mein chala gaya.
Sufaid kurte mein malboos woh simat kar deewar ke saath lag kar baithi thi, jaise jism se zyada apni saans bachane ki koshish kar rahi ho.
Dupatta usne seene par is tarah lapeta hua tha jaise khauf se khud ko baandh lena chahti ho.
Uske baal bheeg kar maathey aur gardan se chipak gaye thay.
Kuch latain aankhon ke qareeb aa kar ruk gayi thin, jaise woh bhi darr se aage na barh saki hon.
Aur aankhen…
Woh jheel jaisi gehri neeli thin jo us waqt khauf se bhari hui thin.
Woh jaise palkein jhapakna bhool gayi hon, jaise dimaagh baar baar yeh tasdeeq kar raha ho ke yeh sab waqai ho raha hai.
Maathey par barish ka pani uski sufaid rangat par motiyon ki tarah chamak raha tha, jaise darr bhi usay chhoo kar narm ho gaya ho.
Uske hont halkay se khulay hue thay aur saans toot toot kar nikal rahi thi.
Uske haath dupattay ko is zor se pakray hue thay ke ungliyan safed ho chuki thin.
Mark ke haath ki pistol aaj pehli baar achanak usay bojh lagne lagi.
Usne Hazel ko dekha aur pehli baar mehsoos kiya ke uske andar jo andhera tha woh is masoomiyat ke samne bekaar lag raha tha.
Mark aik qadam aage barhna chahta tha.
Sirf aik qadam.
Jaise kuch kehna chahta ho.
Hazel ke khubsurat chehray par woh khauf dekh kar Mark bechain ho chuka tha.
Magar usi lamhay police sirens cheekh uthin.
Neelay aur laal rang deewaron par nachne lage.
“Mark! Chalo!”
uske saathi ne uska baazu zor se pakra.
Mark ne jhatka diya magar haath aur bhi mazboot ho gaye.
Usay zabardasti peechay kheench liya gaya.
Woh chal raha tha magar uski aankhen ab bhi Hazel par jami hui thin.
Hazel wahin baithi ro rahi thi.
Barish mein.
Darr mein.
Aur is baat se bilkul be-khabar ke uski aik nazar kisi aadmi ki poori duniya hila chuki hai.
Bazaar us raat barbaad hua tha.
Magar Mark ki zindagi us raat shuru hui thi.